Pre-retreat testimonies:-
After I missed last year's retreat, Rita Chika (a Wordaliver) was like we should plan towards this year's own, I agreed. Even though she couldn't eventually make it to the retreat.
I was anticipating the retreat, even though I was financially not able to save. As the date for the retreat was announced in the group, I got so excited and sent invitations to my siblings, friends and mentees. Most of them were complaining about money. And I was assuring them that if they were willing to attend, God would provide the funds. I had that confidence because of the testimonies I had heard and read about previous retreats.
All of a sudden my younger brother's wedding date was fixed by the church on the 14th of October. Meanwhile, the retreat was supposed to be starting on the 13th. The wedding was in Abuja, I am based in Kebbi State and the retreat was in Osun state. I was thinking how I will be able to navigate. So I decided I will go for the retreat after the wedding even if it was for a day. I also told the people I invited that we might not be there physically but connect online. Two of them who really wanted to go were disheartened. I tried to make them understand the situation of things.
I didn't know God had us in mind.
Two weeks later, my younger brother called me and told me the church brought the wedding forward to the 7th. I was somehow disappointed because I was seriously wondering where the finance to travel twice will come from. My step-mum said "all things work together for good...And every disappointment is a blessing..." I just zeroed my mind that we will connect online. I also have a serious phobia for traveling.
One good day, I was having my quiet time with the Lord, and I heard audibly, you are going for the retreat. I was like how? He said just tell the others to prepare. Well I submitted to God and did as instructed. Then I told God to touch my dad's heart and my boss. Like a joke my dad agreed. I was surprised because my dad doesn't support us going to other programs outside our mother-church, talk more of traveling over long distances. But he agreed. I was Wowed!
We went for the wedding where lots of money was spent and also travelling expenses.
And I was wondering where I will get the transport.
Came back from the wedding on Sunday and we were to travel again on Friday. As of Wednesday no money. Two of my friends said they couldn't make it because they didn't have the money and wouldn't want to stress me. But I was still telling them God will provide. Me wey never see money o😂🤣🤣
Well, we got money to go and I said God will provide when coming back. We were five in number and needed like #100k just to come by road. My dad took us to the park himself and still gave us money for chops😭
The journey was hectic. At one point, I was like Ruth....this is grace ooo. My friends and siblings who knew how much I hate to travel were so surprised. My younger brother, Josh Aubrey who introduced me to the group was saluting my courage🤣😂🤣 Because he himself did not come for the retreat because of distance. Well we ended up spending 30+ hours on the road. It was so frustrating, but my mind was made up.
Sorry for my long write-up🙏
Retreat testimonies:
We got to the retreat, and we experienced love.... The hospitality, the food, the care, the VVIP treatment 😁...chai!!! Words no de to express am! The prayers, worship sessions, praise sessions even though I couldn't dance... I was hurting in my body. The spiritual pool, the mountain experience 😭
But stress wanted to finish me. I was so stressed out throughout the retreat, not only that, I had severe sores all over my mouth. But I told myself and the people I came with. We are here for something and we must get it regardless.
So, in spite of the stress we participated and got soaked...
The atmosphere was charged!
It kept getting hotter and deeper.... I carry the atmosphere reach house o!
I kept asking God why will you bring us over land and seas... I can't really say what God did o. But I know that I didn't go all the way to come back the same. One of my trivial prayer points was provision of phones for my siblings. Two days before the retreat, one of them got a brand new phone. God😭😭😭 I am still asking Him o... "Why you drag us go all the way to Osun state for retreat? And showed us many confirmations?..." At a point, I dropped all my prayer points and told God, that which you want to do, please do ooo, I will not use my own requests and lose out on what He wanted to do.🙏 I aligned.
During the retreat, I also suffered from ulcer pangs. I was healed during the night vigil.
On the Sunday of the retreat, when we came back from the evening service, I checked my phone and saw an alert...💃💃💃 Money for going home... I was like God!!!!!
The transport wasn't yet complete, but I didn't even bother. On the last day of the retreat. Mama Rems asked me to see her before I go. I met with her and she miraculously gave us the remaining transport money we needed. Ewooo 😳😳😳 I can't fully explain how I felt at that moment. God is faithful!
One thing God did in this retreat for me of great significance is, He took me on a ride of faith with Him. I learnt first hand, that when you're in the centre of God's will. He will provide everything that is needed. 💃💃💃💃 That alone is an experience I can't forget in a hurry.
Secondly, He confirmed a lot about what had been revealed to me even before the retreat.
There's Grace in the house🙌
Post-retreat testimonies:-
The joy since I came back home ehnnnnn... Has been consistent.
His presence I have been enjoying,
His love have been all embracing,
The Word has been illuminating,
His peace has surpassed my understanding...
I had clarity over an issue I took to God during the retreat. I knew exactly what to do.
The joy spread to my dad and step-mum.
My siblings were also able to go back to school well.
I am still on my own Hallelujah challenge... hahaha
God speaking to me in clear terms😭 like my hearing and seeing is on another level...
I don't have money. But my needs are met on a daily basis....🙇🙇🙇
My health perfected.
More testimonies loading...
Thank You Lord 🙏
I have one more testimony.
I actually shared it with Mama Rems and she requested that I update my testimony.
A week or so after I returned back from the retreat, I just discovered I could listen to music with my right ear without any feeling of pain and blurriness.
I was actually born with a hearing disability in my right ear and speech impediment. It's been over 3 decades. Over the years, I have learned to speak in a way that the impediment is not usually visible except with those very close to me.
I had a challenge with my ears most especially and was treated for it.... No real solution. I stopped using drugs and just found a way to live with it. I took it up as a prayer point and request and after a while I just wrote it off.
During the retreat, my ears and stomach which I had earlier testified about weren't part of my prayer points either inwardly or in my journal.
God did what I didn't even ask for. The ear pain is gone. I can listen to music freely with my right ear and also hear voices clearly without any feeling of discomfort.
The amazing thing is that I didn't even know I got a miracle. It was so natural 😭
Till now, it feels like a dream...
God worked on my body system💃💃💃 without me asking for it.
I am grateful for the Word Alive 2023 retreat in Osun State.
It's one retreat I will live to remember.
He has done all things well!
Glory to God 🙌🙌🙌
Thanks so much PRems
And all the Admin 🙏
CHELSEA FANWI
My retreat experience and testimonies:
Where do I even start from? I have a lot of things to be grateful for. I joined Word Alive 2 years ago through a friend of mine and since then I've been attending only online meetings.
My first prayer request for this retreat was for me to touch God and to get closer as I can ever get. And I'm so grateful that I got to be a part of the planning team.
First of all, with the prayers every morning, only God helped me to attend the prayers freely, then came the testimonies.
We didn't know at first where the money for the execution of the plans would come from, but the money came and we got everything we wanted and we had excesses.
So I was put in charge of the Cameroon branch of the retreat and I was in charge of hosting, feeding, and lodging people. All these responsibilities at a time when I also had an internship. My first answered prayer is the fact that my internship was carried over to the week right after.
My second testimony happened during the retreat. I was a little sad at the beginning that we weren't able to connect with those on the mountain, but I'm very grateful for the fact that we were able to have our own session with the other members who attended the retreat online. The fact that we're able to connect was indeed a miracle.
In the evening, we had an interesting lesson by one of us - Kike. I am grateful for Debola who stood in for me when I was busy and when there was a network glitch. We led prayers and shared the word together, and the bible study session was really interesting as we listened and followed attentively when she led. She stood in also for all those who had network issues. I'm really grateful for her.
We had the night session, guysss! I've heard about people receiving the gift of the spirit or speaking in tongues. I've heard about it where people receive it upon laying hands but I've never seen it. My big miracle happened when I got to witness the people I invited receive the gift of speaking in tongues that night.
What my eyes saw as we were praying and worshipping; I saw heaven, I saw angels, I saw the lion, I saw the lamb, I saw Jesus, I saw a lot of things. Words cannot express how amazing I felt when Jesus entered the room and sat there because you know the Bible says that he delights in the worship and praise of his children. I saw God delight in our worship.
Yes we were not physically present on the mountain but I saw God seated on our worship. It is so amazing. Testimonies definitely keep following me.
I'm grateful for favours and privileges!
Fam as I write this, my face is on a billboard! to minister on the same stage as Ron Kenoly😭. Only God can do this!!!
We had been praying for my mum to have a visa and God granted it. Fammm, she got accepted and travelled safely to South Africa and back. God has indeed provided us with his favour and love!
I'm grateful for good health, for a fire that never stops!
Grateful for Word Alive, the admin and for Oluremi!
God bless you.
OMOLOLA
I have been thinking and thinking of how to write this testimonial, where to start from or what to write because I'm just in awe of this God. How do I even start to explain, because God did the unexplainable.
I was so intentional about this retreat, my expectations were so high that I couldn't even write them down. It was after the retreat I realised why I could not put my expectations in words, God did beyond my imaginations.
I had made a vow to God from the first time I attended the retreat that I would serve with everything in me and I have been privileged to see how God works behind the scenes, the planning and all.
My testimony started from our daily prayers on the retreat team, the words we got for the retreat were so great and I was just always thinking about how God would do it. Every single year God turns our five loaves of bread and two fishes to thousands. We had a budget of 6 million and as of the day of the retreat (Friday) we did not have half of that amount. Let me pause here on this.
On Friday when we went to the market and the people attending from Lagos wanted to move, it was like there was a strong wind of offence, it was like the instructions we got before then flew away from everyone's head, we just kept meeting people that would annoy us in the market and the people in charge of the buses too had their own fair share. Everyone was just getting one person annoyed and I was like this is the devil o. That's when I started to sense that this retreat was going to be different. Thank God for the first prayer and Friday night, everything became calm and the spirit of God dealt with the offence.
On Saturday we were going to have the vigil and for everyone who has always attended, the vigil was always our power night but this time God had something different in mind. He just wanted our worship and in that moment of worship, I saw God on his throne and I just sat at his feet and worshipped my maker. It felt as though I was not in that hall anymore. It was an amazing experience.
Fast forward to Sunday, I already lost my voice from leading worship on Saturday and I could barely speak but one of the things that amazed me and is a miracle was that everytime I had to sing and lead worship, my voice was as clear as day.
Sunday evening was the most amazing time for me, it was where I saw things shift in my life. Kai, God does wonders. I sang for more than 5 hours and my voice was clear as the day😭.
I saw angels descend into that hall, I saw angels move with me as I worshipped, it felt like I was dancing with my father. We sang just one song throughout these 5 hours on Sunday evening. Come and see God move in the midst of our worship, people got new tongues, ears flung open, spiritual eyes opened. Nobody had to minister to people. God himself came down to touch people. At some point rain started falling and it didn't sound like rain, it sounded like voices ayaaa🔥🔥🔥 God did unexplainable things. We touched God🔥🔥
After the program on Sunday evening, I told PRems I won't be able to sing again. Thank God Wale is around now, Monday morning my voice was totally gone. So we went to the mountain to pray and for communion, as we were about to climb, we were singing and the voice that could not be heard became clear as the day again, I was just laughing at this point. PRems looked at me and laughed😂
When we started worshipping on the mountain, at some point I saw people on the mountain that were not part of us receive their answers. Throughout this retreat, we did not raise any prayer points, we didn't even pray on our request because it was so evident that God had answered us. I got my answers and I'm sure we all left there with overflowing baskets of testimonies.
Back to my story of multiplication, after Saturday vigil, money started coming in from unexpected places. We were able to complete transportation, accommodation payment and we had more than enough remaining in the account.
This may sound funny 😂 but we killed a whole cow for feeding at the retreat and after frying and counting, we had about 800 pieces but as we were using the meat, it was not reducing. We had about 160 people at the retreat that ate 3 times daily for three days and we had over 130 pieces of meat remaining at the end of the retreat. God multiplied our little. Every retreat we have food remaining, we always have that 12 baskets remaining.
I'm so grateful to God for
this retreat experience, I can't explain it all. I can't wait for the manifestations of my answered prayers.
I'm grateful to God for PRems and the privilege to serve under her every year. It is One of the biggest testimonies I have because she has been a blessing to me and my family. I pray God upholds her and blesses all that concerns her.
I love you my Remi Sisi❤
SAMSON
Get Away With Me: It Begins – My personal testimony
I remember when we went to scout the mountain in preparation for the Retreat. From the words and prophecies that we got on that day, I knew God had so much in store for us. Words cannot fully capture the expectation I had in my heart concerning the program. The date was also a few weeks before my wedding and I knew that if I got nothing, I would surely get templates for the next level of my life. Then we started planning.
Being part of the planning team, I have first-hand info on what went on in the background. Cost of foodstuffs had tripled. Fuel was insanely expensive too. The budget was going to 6m+. What do we do? Well, we fasted and prayed. I was part worried and part not worried. Part worried because 6m was a whole lot of money. IT BEGINS was the fourth retreat we were planning and the most expensive. Part not worried because I had seen God move in unexpected ways before and I knew He would move this time around too. Anyways, we prayed, fasted and solicited funds. How we were able to get all the money, fund the Retreat and even had extra left, I don’t understand till today. But God helped us do it.
I got to camp on Saturday and as expected, the spiritual atmosphere was HEAVY. You could sense that something was happening, that God was there. We prayed, we worshipped, we sang, we played games, we got healed, we got delivered, prophecies went forth, we received words, new friendships formed, new spiritual alliances forged. It was an unforgettable experience. Yes, I got templates for the next phase of my life. I also got words that will carry me for the future (in fact, have started carrying me already).
God is amazing, something He has proved time and time again. He has also proven time and time again that He can be trusted. Grateful for another opportunity to experience Him at the Retreat.
UBECHU RICHARD
Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters,
I am writing this testimony with a heart filled with gratitude and awe at the goodness of our Lord, following the just concluded prayer retreat. My soul rejoices as I reflect on the profound experiences and divine encounters that unfolded during this sacred time of seeking God's presence.
As a second-year Bible college student, I have been diligently studying the Word of God, but the prayer retreat elevated my understanding to a new level. The promises of God, which I had learned academically, became more than practical; they became living and breathing truths that resonated in the depths of my being. The retreat served as a spiritual classroom, where every lesson I had absorbed in my studies came alive with practical significance.
During the retreat, I experienced the incredible blessing of hearing God's voice more directly and intimately than ever before. His whispers of love, guidance, and reassurance echoed in the chambers of my heart, bringing a profound sense of peace and understanding. The spiritual revelations were like a wellspring, refreshing and revitalising my faith journey.
I cannot help but testify to the overflow of blessings that have cascaded upon me and my family since we returned from the retreat. It's as if the heavens have opened, and the favour of the Lord is pouring down upon us in abundance. Doors that seemed closed are swinging wide open, opportunities are presenting themselves, and divine favour is unmistakably locating us in every area of our lives.
The retreat was not just a moment in time; it was a divine appointment that has left an indelible mark on my spirit. I am grateful for the teachings, the worship, the fellowship, and, above all, for the tangible presence of God that enveloped us throughout those sacred days.
May this testimony serve as a testament to the faithfulness of our God and an encouragement to all who hear it. Our God is alive, His promises are true, and His favour knows no bounds. I am blessed, my family is blessed, and I eagerly anticipate the continued manifestation of God's goodness in our lives.
ENIOLA TODAYISI
I want to appreciate my faithful Father in heaven for His goodness towards me.
I was placed on drugs and a series of injections to be taken for a month before the retreat. I took them for two weeks before the retreat and decided not to take them again the day we were to leave for retreat. I trusted God's healing power. When we got to the retreat I started having a serious migraine that night but I held onto my faith and the amazing thing was that all through the retreat I was super doing great in my health. To the glory of God I can say it's exactly a month ago that I took any form of drugs or injections and I have been fine.
God opened doors of spiritual capacity for me and the journey has been beautiful since I came back from the retreat.
Financial supply daily has always been amazing, I don't know how God did it but I like.
I want to thank God for Word Alive too, you all have been so wonderful and supportive in prayers and all.
God bless you
Eniola Oluwatodayisi.
TIWALOLA
Thankful For God in my life!!! Yes i mean the God of Oluremi,,,the one who has re assured me and gave me a testimony that even the unbeliever’s find it worthy to ask who’s my God!!
How do i get to start and even if from today until tomorrow words failed me still🥺🥺🥺🥺God has been so merciful to me and my family I’m the one who the Lord has shown mercy ,,the one who the lord has found worthy to preserve her life😭😭😭😭
These words are heavy in my mouth and until now I’m lost for word and this is my 4th year in joining Word Alive but it has been filled with a life changing moment,from business wise to career path and most the One my maker has done this year…..Ehhhh until now I’m very lost for words but who says there’s no God?? And i will tell them how he mightily move in my life …i will tell them how he save me from a ghastly motor accident Octorber 20th which was prior 4days after coming back from the retreat 😭😭😭😭The Only Survivor I don’t know how he Get it done but I’m thankful to God i came out hale and hearty amidst 8 people pronounced dead 4 badly injured and i Tiwalola Olubunmi oke came out still with just a little bruises 😭😭😭😭i survived what killed the rest passengers i don’t know how and why i deserve that😭😭😭but I could remember the only word i kept hearing was have you forgotten you just Get Away With Me!! Nje iwo mo pe mo wa pelu e😭😭😭😭😭😭….I’m lost for words wishing i can go into details now and then but God preserved my life…Made me whole..Even when I thought i would possibly had a internal injury due to the incident everyone who came across and saw that incident on Kara Bridge kept Asking who’s My God
But yes i serve a living God the one who doesn’t forsake his beloveth😭😭😭😭
Thank You Jesus
Hallelujah Ehh
Mo ti ri re gba oooo
Hallelujah Ehhh
Hallelujah Ehhh
DEBORAH ODEKEYE
Good day Word Alive team,
I am glad I attended the retreat, a short story of how I got my testimony.
Before I came to the retreat, I had a 21days fasting and prayer with my elder sister. I didn’t get anything, (I asked the lord for another gift of the spirit after the prayer) the Holy Spirit said I will give you a gift. When we got to church (Word Alive retreat) and we were praying in tongues, HE asked me to bow before HIM, I did and afterwards HE said to me I have given you a new crown. The name was given in Yoruba (Ade Ogo Emimo). Praise the lord, hallelujah!
UCHECHI DEBBIE
I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to be able to attend the retreat. As someone with different religious views growing up, I often struggle with some beliefs and so I don’t necessarily get involved with a lot of spiritual activities.
However when I saw the flyer on a friend’s WhatsApp status, something in me drew my attention to it and I immediately became interested and was looking forward to it.
I had a job that didn’t give me time, so I was concerned about how I was going to attend. On the week of the retreat, I was fired from my job and the first thought that came to my mind was “thank God I can finally attend the retreat”. A few minutes later, it dawned on me that I have been fired o! lol. But it didn’t matter. I was happy to be attending the retreat.
My brother is sick and investigations that have been done were cancerous investigations. My mum was also not feeling fine, amongst other things.
So I got to the retreat, for someone that usually has motion sickness while travelling, I didn’t feel anything despite eating a lot.
I have never prayed more than 30 minutes in my life before but when I got to the retreat, during the vigil it was as if my heart, soul and body just opened - opened to talking to God. Things I have been holding on to for years, I left at his feet, pains, regrets, etc. Even the things I owe God, that night was the night I gave it all. I got emotional and was genuine during my hours of prayers and I have never felt more free in my life before like I did after the vigil, even till today. The peace and freedom I have experienced after the retreat has been amazing. I don’t have the depression and anxiety I usually have anymore.
The spiritual pool was beyond words. I saw and felt things I could never have felt or thought of, if I wasn’t there.
My brother's cancerous investigations all came back negative, my mother feeling better.
My relationship with God has become better, my words and dealings are towards doing right by God, worshipping and glorifying him.
I had an interview invite during the retreat but wasn’t able to attend and I know a better job is coming. I can feel the blessings of God already manifesting in my life.
I don’t regret attending the retreat, in fact I wish it could be done every month.
JANE OGOLIEGBUNE
My Testimony.
I want to thank God for the gift of Word Alive as a support system in this season where there is so much struggling for our minds. Looking back I see the intentionality of God even as we grow daily in prayers and the word.
God has moved me from mediocrity to a child getting to know her identity. I must also state that this year is the best year so far, I have experienced growth, spiritually, emotionally, financially, career and more.
God has made me an envy to others, God has made me stand out amongst my peers at work, I have experienced back to back healings, miracles, answers to prayers, helpers and more.
Only to name a few of my experiences at the retreat - I have experienced strength to tarry, even in my weakest state, I have seen God's words become flesh and more.
There is so much to be grateful for, I am privileged to be a part of this great move, we're regular humans who have become battle axes in God's hands in this season. I thank God for the gift of fellowship and more in Word Alive.
I pray that God continues the great works he has started in this fellowship in Jesus name.
BLESSING EFOSA
Hello all,
God is good and kind to me.
In 2022, I went for the retreat and I was blessed and healed of an excruciating pain in my leg.
I then told God that in the 2023 retreat, I wanted to climb the mountain myself with little or no help, reason being that my left leg is still undergoing physiotherapy due to a partial stroke I suffered in 2021. God answered this prayer and I climbed the mountain with very minimal help, I am super thankful to God for this.
Before the arrival at the retreat ground, I had received a word to not take any offence, but on our way, there were so many reasons for offence.
I however reminded God of His word and I received grace to not take any offence. I am grateful to God for this, as offence would have hindered my blessings.
In 2022, I came with prayer requests but this year, I came with questions. Before I left the retreat ground, I got answers to 80% of the questions. I am grateful to God for this because who comes to a prayer retreat with questions 😭😭😭.
On Sunday at the spiritual pool while we were worshipping , I felt very light and till now, I don’t feel any burden whatsoever. I am thankful for this because I have been seriously worried about my entire being.
Finally, I am grateful for the retreat. This year’s experience cannot really be explained, it felt like I got SUPER POWERS 🔥🔥🔥.
I am entirely grateful to God. He has been and is still faithful.
ODUNOLA BOLATUNMI
My testimony
I'm happy to be a member of Word Alive Ministry. That was my second retreat and God has indeed been merciful.
The first year retreat, I came in search of food (spirit), I wasn't having it spiritually then and I just wanted more.. God worked in me and I'm still in His presence till date. I could remember P.Rems when she was giving words of encouragement on the day we were to go back during the 2022 retreat, she said "Do not go back home". She said we shouldn't remain the same again, what we received here, we shouldn't drop the fire and it went on with me.
This year, things were really tough but my spiritual life is still there. I had it rough financially that I would start blaming God at some point and I was losing and picking up my faith back, it was as if God wasn't listening to my prayers and pleas.
I went with eagerness to the retreat because what I experienced the first time can't be missed, I decided to use the opportunity to seek the face of the Lord and ask him what next in my life.
I got there and was anticipating all of the programs, the first day we got there, we had a small worship session and P. Rems said something that got me "Drop all your worries, free it all " she kept on talking about worshipping the One who accepts worship with genuine heart, and I knew that word was for me.
The Sunday gathering was the highlight for me because I saw God in a way I had never seen him, I saw His glory, I saw how Mighty He is. That gathering proved that there's a living God, it proved that there's really someone we praise and worship, it proved that there's indeed the Holy Spirit given to men.
All I felt there, is still a mystery to me. I danced with angels, the Lord spoke to me, I saw a golden throne, I saw a cloud that was waiting for people's worship to strike and make a lightening for the Lord of host to send a rain of fire and it happened. I saw the fire of the Lord. Oh! How I'm still having goosebumps over and over!
It was there I got a confirmation of all I went there for, He replied to me "I didn't forget you, I hear and listen to all your prayers and pleas, just wait, for my time is not your time”. PRems, I'm still basking in His words, you said "if a dream, vision or a prophetic word is out for you, then it means something wants that thing out and it must surely come to pass". I'm still waiting. I'm feeding on God's words and standing on His promises. He relieved me of my burdens and He will still do it all!
THESPINA OFFIONG DUCHESS
To think I’m a vast writer yet writing my testimonies words fail me; I really do not know where to start from but let me start from the moment I saw the retreat flyer on a friend's whatsapp page…..
That fateful day, in my usual habit of not checking whatsapp status, in fact, i mute status on my WhatsApp, but that day i decided to play around my phone and boom the first page i opened was that of the said “Friend”. Then I dropped a message for her of my interest to join in the retreat. Usually, she doesn’t reply to messages quickly due to her schedule, but she responded almost immediately. Then I knew that was a turning point for me. To think I’m not easily convinced in jumping “churches” or anything that has to do with religion. I’m a believer and born again Christian don’t get me wrong.
I started packing for the retreat, then the day came, I went to the convening point with a strong willed conviction that the Lord won’t let me come back with those baggage. But the Lord is mighty in his power and Glory. Hmmmm i got instructions to intercede for people and i was saying is this a joke or what? Then I obeyed immediately and started calling friends for prayer requests.
THIS TESTIMONY IS LONG BUT I WILL JUST GIVE A TIP OF IT…..
However, I was sensitive in my spirit regardless of the instructions so when allocation of rooms was done and I was sent to “Jehovah Jireh” Room I understood that my coming from the beginning was a transformative moment for me already. Glory!!!
A lot of times people come to me for help and sometimes for prayers and I do these things and they get their testimonies but mine is like I’m in a particular spot. So when I got into the room and met a baby girl, I smiled. I knew I wasn’t there by chance but by the divine intervention of God because I was also interceding for a woman believing God for the fruit of the womb. So I said a prayer in the room and confirmed her testimony and went further to bring my luggage and settled in.
On the first day, I volunteered to go clean the church, and as I was cleaning that day I was praying that every way of my life and people around me should be made clean and perfect. And so it has been since I came back from the retreat. When P.Rems was teaching on HELP, I keyed into that teaching and worship… I get help in every little way. GOD HAS BEEN FAITHFUL IN ALL WAYS.
Then during the vigil, every word and prophetic confirmation that came was for me and I was like, God na you be this? I wasn’t in any way praying for myself and this is me getting testimonies without even asking.
My friends that I got their prayer requests tried calling to send in their testimonies too, then i knew I wasn’t there as a fun time or vacation but indeed God was in for a total turnaround.
On Sunday night I got a gift. I call it the Executive Party Pack from the Retreat. They were from Amos 9: 13-15 and Philipian 4:8.
Then on the mountain, during the spiritual pool, I didn’t pray at all and I kept hearing “Let go of the burdens and Let God renew your Land. Gen 18:2”.
Omo immediately I woke up from the sleep under that sun. I wanted to leave like the leprosy man but I remembered I wasn’t there alone. I knew IT WAS SETTLED.
Since I got back from the retreat my life has been stress free and the anxiety I used to get over things disappears when I remember the words I got during the retreat. I go really chill and let God in with those words and it becomes a done deal. Hallelujah to the one on the Throne. JESUS!
More confirmation of testimonies are still coming in and I will always share during the online prayers.
Thank you team Word Alive and the good works that the Lord has been doing through your stewardship. May the Lord meet each and everyone of you at the point of your needs and beyond in Jesus name . Amen!
Thank you P.Rems
Yours Faithful
OLUWAGBENGA AKINFADERIN
MY TESTIMONIES!!!
I was glad when I heard about the camp, because I read previous meeting testimonies and I made up my mind I must have testimonies also and God answered my prayer. Hallelujah!
I joined the retreat team for me to be more committed and tap more into the retreat blessing. Some days to the retreat during the fasting and prayer week all my prayer was “God let there be an encounter”. I want to hear from you concerning a particular project (which I had been believing in Him, for help and favour, because a lot of people had said some things that got me scared) despite it being a big project.
Fast forward to the retreat ground. I was so desperate and expectant to hear concerning my prayer request, on Saturday at vigil, I sat down with the instruction from PRems (forget about your prayer request and give thanks to God), while I was doing that, the lord gave me my testimony in a vision and message concerning the project.
Hallelujah!!
To God be the Glory, since we came back from the retreat my spiritual life has advanced and still moving on higher and higher.
To God be the Glory.
Hallelujah!!
ONYINYECHI CHIMA
My testimony is more of spiritual encounters and salient answers to questions I didn't know I was asking.
My first answer came from the theme of the retreat, I have never been available for any physical meeting whatsoever, this year's was my first. I have been hearing God say "Come Up Hither" stay with me, in different ways and I felt everything I was doing was the come up hither. I was to relocate from where I was back to Lagos, so I was also at the crossroad asking what next? Where do I go from here, I kept on saying I just want to spend time with God without even knowing what it would entail then I bumped into the flyer of the program, and I literally heard God whispering "GET AWAY WITH ME" from the day I saw the flyer, my eyes was flooded with light I began getting bits and bits of understanding of all that God had been saying to me for the past two years about Come Up Hither.
The message PRems taught and how she said this is the first God would allow her teach, silently I said because of me; the teaching was a step by step guide on how to enter your new for me. It was literally saying to me this is how to “Come Up Hither”. I needed that manuscript for the next step I was to take.
From this I can say that what I didn't get for months with asking God questions and waiting on Him, He prepared His Vessel and fortified her with my Word.
I heard PRems say this year's outpouring and turnout was different, I heard her say I just got an understanding of what “Get away with me” meant and understanding of what the retreat stands for, I just knew all these were different ways of God speaking and light the Lord was pouring on my path, so I see that He has gone ahead of me, just as He assured me to move.
I received the grace that was released and restoration for those that have been at a standpoint for the last 3 years🥺
On Saturday evening, we came for the spiritual pool, God Himself came down in our midst. I had a distinct encounter where I was being bathed with oil and I heard "Healing then Anointing'', then I saw stones on my hands and I heard Jasper - later on when I went to research on it and I saw that Jasper has Healing properties and it could be used to make oil, so I knew all that happened to me was not far fetched it was surreal. I know there is still more to this, just as PRems shared - many things you would not understand and they might not make sense now. Whilst all this was on, PRems walked up to me holding my hands and she declared - Enter into a new dimension of your gifting.
I received healing of the lump in the breast, I am celebrating the physical manifestation ahead of time.
I met with God, I stayed in His embrace
I had a distinct encounter and entered into deeper revelation of God's love for me
It was indeed a "Get Away With God"
Thank you ma'am for yielding and obeying 🙇♀️🙇♀️🙇♀️
NGOZI OGOLIEGBUNE
My Testimony
I want to Thank God for getting to know about Word Alive Ministry. Ever since I came to Lagos in 2021, and joined the prayer group in January 2022, my life has transformed spiritually, physically and otherwise.
I want to thank God for the gift of Life, his covenant of protection over my family and friends.
I want to thank God for exposure, for my job, skill set and my makeup business(PR).
I want to thank God for breaking stagnation, for bringing back celebrations in my family, for my spouse to be and for the gift of men (helpers).
I want to thank God for healing me, my left eye was hurting before the retreat, I don’t feel that pain anymore. Glory!
I want to thank God for what he has started in my life and that of my family, I know he would bring it to perfection in Jesus name.
I want to thank God for the covenant of answered prayers in Word Alive, I’ve tested and I’ve seen.
May the anointing of God continue to overflow in Jesus' name.
THANK YOU JESUS!
PRECIOUS PATRICK
Pre-Retreat
I'm immensely grateful to God for this year’s retreat. Pre-retreat, I knew I needed some time off, take a backseat and just re-strategize my life as things weren't going as planned. I needed a new plan that would fit into my life at the time.
Usually, I would write down my prayer points before the retreat but this time I couldn't bring myself to write down a thing, not because I didn't have prayer requests, I just couldn't bring myself to pen them down, in fact during the retreat testimonial video recording, I did mention that I was coming with blank sheets.
Day 1 - The Journey
On the day of the retreat, I had woken up pretty early. I had my bath and got my friend to drop me off close to the pickup location. I got there quite early so I could finish up with work before we embarked on our journey. On our way to the mountain and the period we got to the mountain, we had hiccups here and there that affirmed the fact that God was set to move and the enemy was causing a distraction.
Day 2
I was ready and set for the move of God, one thing I had told myself was that I wasn't going to box God, so I remained open to the move of Christ, and I knew this move could happen anytime whether during breakfast, during the games, or whenever. After we were back from cleaning the church and it was time for games, I told myself I was going to fully participate in the games, I wasn’t going to allow being part of the committee to shortchange me from participating in all the camp activities lol. Oh, I playyyyeedd, I did play like my life depended on it, I screamed, jumped, and danced ������ it was an unburdening period for me, felt like I was making my heart, mind, and body light for the move of the spirit set to happen that evening.
The Vigil
I am not a fan of vigils and I like to sleep well before attending vigils, but on this day we had so many activities and there wasn’t enough time to sleep well, but I knew I wasn’t going to shut my eyes to sleep at the vigil. I had an appointment with Christ and nothing was going to stop it. Like I mentioned earlier, one thing I was certain about, this retreat was between me and God and whilst I have to fulfil my obligations as a committee member I wasn’t going to miss my moments, oh! It was a long night and God moved in ways only he could, on several occasions I had found myself completely broken in the presence of God, laying down all the fears and burdens I was carrying. I jumped so so much, I sobbed so so much, I sang till I lost my voice, I prayed till I was short of words, I danced till I couldn’t feel my body anymore, in my heart of mind that was it, that was the encounter I have been waiting for.
Day 3
We got back to the hostel after the vigil. At this time I was feeling so sleepy but I had pending work from the office and I still wanted to sit with my friends and gist. Time went by, and it was time to attend the evening program. Again, I thought I had gotten the encounter I so desired, I didn’t know the Lord was just starting lol. Got to the church and took my position in the spirit. I just wanted to enjoy God. I was dancing to the tune of the spirit. At this time people were already falling under the anointing and PRems had asked that we let people be, so I simply connected to God and kept dancing non-stop. Then came the heavy rain, at this point, I had zoned out (I can’t fully explain this, I was completely out of the church on several occasions) I opened my eyes and looked around and I could almost touch the Holy Spirit, his presence was so strong in our midst and I could see everyone having an encounter, and ministering to one another.
1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (I feel like bursting in tongues by just typing this)
The atmosphere was so charged up, at this point, I touched the Holy Spirit and broke down completely, and the Lord reaffirmed to me the words he told me seven years ago. I got strengthened for the journey ahead and I just wanted to stay in the embrace of the Holy Spirit.
Final Day
The Mountain
I couldn’t believe we had been at the mountain for over three days without actually climbing the mountain lol, very unlike us. More importantly, I couldn’t believe I came to the mountain without writing down any prayer request, definitely very unlike me lol. When we got to the mountain, during the spiritual pool I remembered I hadn’t written down any prayer requests and we were going to drop our prayer requests before leaving the mountain, I decided to write mine down just before we ended the Spiritual pool, then PRems said we won’t be collecting any prayer requests cause the Lord said he had answered all, again, this was another confirmation to me that indeed God has answered all my heart desires.
Post Retreat
My testimonies have been unfolding, and I’ve been sharing with the brethren on Word Alive. I am at a very joyful season in my life, nothing troubles me, the burdens I had experienced have been lifted, I work with so much ease, I’m running with the template God has given me, my walk with God is in a much peaceful pace, I am not guilty of any accusation of the devil and I know my place in Christ Jesus.
What I enjoyed most about the Retreat was seeing God move in my most random conversation with people, being opportune to serve, seeing very angry people laughing non-stop, seeing people who came for the first time leading activities and I was just generally joyful being amongst believers who are passionate and on fire for Christ. I look back at those days and I know a revival has started, God is raising a new generation who are hungry for him, hungry for this gospel, and unashamed to preach Christ to the ends of the earth.
OMOLARA EWADUNNI
The devil is a mad man!
Oti se o
Baba ti se o
Ohun to n ba mi leru
Baba ti se o.
I almost missed the retreat and had to borrow money to come and while I was there, I kept seeing missed calls from my lender.
It almost threw me off, because each call came with an embarrassing and painful message 😂.
I sha kept telling God that I dey here o and I must not go back the way I came.
I'm grateful for a life-changing experience and for the blessings that are manifesting in my life through the encounter with ABBA. HA! Jesus showed up
Hallelujah eh
Hallelujah eh
Hallelujah eh
Oti segun fun mi
Oti damilare
Hallelujah eh
Hallelujah eh
ABIMBOLA ADEBAYO
Truly we serve a living God. The Wednesday after retreat, the Holy Spirit said to me from my sleep (I heard a very calm voice) to rearrange, clean and change my bed position. Lol, it sounds funny, yeah? 😁
I didn’t listen (I was busy) until Friday when I had this urge and an unrest in my spirit, it was as if I had a deadline to meet. I left the office for home around 2pm. I didn't finish until 12am. It was like someone set fire to my butts, I didn’t sit for a minute, I was just blasting HALLELUJAH EH on my speakers (it was a whole lot 😩). But I blessed God that I listened to that Voice.
Saturday morning, very early around 6am a family member’s call woke me and asked why I didn't sleep at home. I was shocked, I said “I did” (It was an attacking question, and I was confused at this point). Later that morning, her children called and said that she was rushed to a hospital in Ikorodu. (Another longer testimony).
Same Saturday (I was still resting because of the work I did the previous day) my maid rushed into the house and said grandma had passed out! I flew in seconds to the balcony only to meet her lifeless.
I told my maid to stop shouting and help me carry her inside. The only thing I said was “SATAN YOU MISSED YOUR ADDRESS” my maid was surprised (At this point I was confessing the word and reconfirming my assurance in Christ that I will not mourn this year and beyond in my heart), after some minutes she came back to life but wasn’t responding and her body was stone cold. I rubbed the anointing over her body and heated her room up. After some hours she was back to herself. This same baby girl of mine 😁 clocked 89th last week Thursday.
All Glory to God.
PATIENCE MICHAEL
I want to Thank God for restoring a dying relationship. Sincerely, I gave up and thought it was the end but God has been doing amazing things since I got back from the retreat.
Secondly, I want to thank God for the Godly encounter I had which has led to many greater things that came with joy and laughter.
I give God the praise for always being good to me and my loved ones.
God bless.
TRISHA GODWIN
Pre-retreat Miracle - I was invited into Word Alive platform by a friend Wale Ajayi about two weeks before the retreat, we worship in the same commission. At the end of the service one blessed Sunday we got talking and he introduced me to the Word Alive platform. At the time, I didn't know what to expect, but I remember I mentioned to him that I have a passion for prayers when he asked what department I would love to join in church. I guess that was what led him to mention the Word Alive prayer group and that it's non-denominational. Forward to when I Joined the WhatsApp platform, and I kept seeing publicity about the retreat I loved all that it was about. The video clips, the list of items to carry and all the awareness, so I texted Wale to give me clarity about the retreat, which he did…Wow! was all I could say because that's like the kind of intimacy I have been longing to have with God for a long time from the distracting cares of life.
Here is my chance but there was a "problem" How would I tell my family that I was going outside of Lagos for a retreat? Not like I am a kid though but am new in Lagos and not conversant with the city not to talk of outside Lagos. Who do I know that I want to follow to another state for retreat? These were all the questions in my head that I was expecting from them. I couldn't tell them. But as the departure day drew nearer the awareness became more intense and I in turn became more disturbed. So two days to the departure day I summoned the courage to tell my sister, guess what😦 I couldn't believe her reaction
She just asked the location which I sceptically replied and the next point was to tell my husband about it.
I was excited already because I knew since she had given that answer her husband won't be a handful. Heading straight to tell him, as expected, he just asked when I was leaving 😁😁😁
Oh my God! I just ran to my phone and subscribed using the registration link
I was so so excited about how God did it, I would have been discouraged if they asked all the questions and started preaching insecurity and safety as they often do.
That was the first miracle.
Afterwards, I remembered the rules of the mountain about no trousers hmmm another wahala.
Most of my wears are pants. I just told the devil that Omo you won't get me in this way too oh. I quickly messaged the person I often see drop a message on the group chat and smiled😊, I am happy to know her now (PRems)
I just texted, hello ma
Mentioned my name and told her I might not be able to meet the dress rules of the camp.
I was expecting that she would say come as you are since you are a first-timer.
But trust PRems she diplomatically and nicely gave me possible options oh yea.
It's the spirit of God that used her to give me those initiatives (I didn't realise that till this moment that am typing) cos I would have been discouraged and not even make any effort and make excuses like, since I don't have their kind of clothes then it's not for me and am not accepted.
But I was able to follow PRem's instructions and it worked
During/post-retreat experience - Every session was from glory to glory. We had good fun playing games, the sumptuous meals and met new friends with the same mindset. It was like a vacation with the holy ghost.
I came with so many prayer points but we were told to worship and praise God which I did obey but God did more than I could ask for, numerous answers to prayers.
I used to be a worrisome person (very worried for nothing)
God gave me peace, that kind of peace that is beyond human understanding I don't think money can buy it (am living my best life because I trust God in totality now)
God addressed so many issues in my life that needed clarity on and also gave me messages to give friends and families on different cases.
Before going for the retreat my sister was diagnosed with hernia which always gave us sleepless nights when the pains started. I told PRems about her condition and she prayed on an anointing oil to give her.
To God be the glory, the pain is gone.
Even as she wants it removed (that's her faith level) which I know will be a success too, for me God has done the miracle.
I want to also thank God for all he has been doing in my family. I can not thank him enough.
To him alone be all the glory, honour and adoration
Amen.
ABIODUN ADEBOLA
I thank the most high for making me a partaker of that great program. Well after the retreat, I have not remained the same. What I can actually point at is favour, God has really been coming through for me and I'm thanking him for what He is preparing. Also I am happy to be a member of Word Alive, God continue to bless us all.
MOJISOLA SOPHIE
My retreat experience is a build up from before the trip and as much as I wanted to keep my heart and mind blank and not set expectations based on my needs and wants, God took me through experiences and gave me words that seemed illogical before the retreat. From the first service at the church on Saturday, everything started falling in place and making sense like a jigsaw puzzle. I saw God, I tasted God, I felt God and I had a heavenly experience that words can’t describe. God worked in, for and through me. Regardless of how much I held back, because it wasn’t logical to me and I wasn’t the convener, God ministered to people through me. I worshipped and praised with the angels. Even though we never raised a prayer point in the course of the retreat, not that we didn’t want to, but because God had his own agenda, I’ve had testimonies after the retreat. There’s not a day that passes that I’ve not had a testimony or a reason to thank God. I’ve seen his hand in every prayer point I wrote down while anticipating the retreat. I came to the retreat nursing a pain in my left thigh for months and was hooked on painkillers. I applied the oil just once on that spot and I've not had to use painkillers for that pain since then. From healing after using the anointing oil on myself & my sister, to wonderful changes in my businesses that have struggled all year, God has done and is still doing a lot for me.
FAITH AJIEHI
I’m so glad I was at the retreat, the experience was overwhelming🥰Firstly, I want to thank God for the salvation of my soul, I also want to thank God for enabling me to be present at the retreat because after the retreat, my business took a positive change. Business has been dull for a while but after my encounter with God at the retreat, clients and referrals were coming in from different angles, my burdens are off my shoulders and I feel this internal peace and joy after the retreat. I’m super grateful for everyone God has used during the cause of the program and i pray your anointing will never run dry in Jesus name🙏🏼Amen
ISAAC BEEBEE
I want to thank God for how intentional He is about me
God treats me like an only child.
I have been praying for financial assistance for a project I'm on, like I kept trusting God to come through for me.
Before the retreat I wrote out my prayer request in my prayer book, got to the retreat and all we did was sing HALLELUJAH EEEEEE and dance, I really didn't pray over those requests.
Fast forward to 2 weeks after the retreat my mum called me and told me her elder sister (grandma) wants to see me, I was reluctant to go.
One week after my mum's call, I picked my bag and went to Ibadan to honour the call.
Ehhhhh, this God is a good God, miracle Baba(singing)
When I got there,the very first thing she talked about was this project I'm on.
In my head I was like Baba daadaa is that you?
When grandpa came back, she told me to talk to grandpa about it.
This is where God wowed me.
Like, I wasn't expecting what happened.Grandpa picked his phone and asked a friend about what I'm about to venture into. He wanted his friend to guide me.
Here's the twist, grandpa doesn't make calls on behalf of anybody, not even his children or grandchildren.
We talked and I left the room.
Called my mum and brother that night to tell them what happened in grandpa's room, him calling his friend on my behalf.
NO ONE BELIEVED ME,THEY THOUGHT I WAS MAKING IT UP
Fast forward to the next morning I got the shocker, like the breaking news. They told me to raise any amount I can raise from my end and they will balance it up for me. At first I thought it was just word of mouth but last week they called to ask me about it and I told them I'm still working on it. They still stood on their words that when I raise the little I can, they will balance it up (remember I prayed for financial assistance and these people rarely render that even though they are capable of it)
I'm just grateful to God for listening to me and saying yes to my request. Even though I'm yet to raise the amount that I'm to raise from my end. I'm just confident that God has started it already and he will finish it.
And before June 2024 I'll come back to say my project is done and God carried me through.
ADEBOLANLE
Dear Word Alive,
Please find my retreat testimonies below.
Ti mi o ba le dupe, a je pe mi o m’ore. I thank God for the success of the retreat. Success on all fronts from planning to miraculous provision, to journey mercies. I remember how the finances were not looking too good towards the retreat and I got scared but just continually joined faith and prayed and I thank God because we were not put to shame. God provided our needs towards the retreat and even lets our cup overflow.
I also thank God for journey mercies for those that attended the retreat physically or had to gather at a place together like those in Cameroon. I thank God for those that came from Benin and specifically for Wale as well, they had a particularly stressful and even scary journey and God kept them every step of the way.
I thank God for the Cameroonian that spoke in tongues during one of the online sessions and I thank God for what God has started in her life.
I thank God for how God moved in our midst before, during and now after the retreat, both physically and online. I thank God for those who led and for strength for everyone of us. I thank God for his words that he sent during the retreat, for confirmation of his word and for a stirring up of faith in me. I thank God for the assurance that God can be trusted. Praise God.
Kind regards,
Adebolanle Olowolabi
The Beloved of the Lord
IBUKUN ADEYEMI
Honestly I don’t know where to start.
This is my second Word Alive retreat and I must say I don’t regret it at all.
I feel the starting of my retreat testimony is going to be the same as last year's, because it’s having the same story line.
Last year’s retreat, I was so happy about going, then along the line my daddy said I couldn’t go. Now this year, I was also so happy and excited about the retreat, this one I already put my mind to it that there is no going back and all, then boom😂 my father told me to forget about it because I’m just resuming school, as per FRESHER i should know my environment and all.
It pained me ehn 😭 I won’t lie, because after all my preparation and everything, my daddy said I should not go. Last year after he told me not to go, I was angry and decided not to fast, but this year I didn't even say anything, I just joined the fasting and prayer and volunteered to be part of the retreat team.
Along the line thinking maybe my daddy will change his mind, well he did not, which made me so angry 😭but what can I do? I actually lost faith that wo! Anyhow it wants to be. Even Aunty Remi tried talking to him but he still refused, I said okay no problem 😂let us leave him.
Then on the day of the retreat I sent a message to Aunty Remi and she said I should try talking to him, so I sent him a message telling him how I really wanted to go for the retreat.
Ghen ghen 😂my father told me to sign an undertaking, moni ah😭I sha signed it like that 😂❤️. With so much joy in my heart, I quickly packed my bag so I could join the bus. On our way to the camp I really did not have any expectations or anything. I was telling myself that I’m going to this camp and I did not write my prayer point but I still carried myself like that.
This retreat ehn it’s was just a way of me changing my environment honestly because I was just going to the camp for going sake. So we got to camp, we mingled, we played games and all, allocation of rooms started late but I was not even concerned where they put me, my own was just please put me inside a room where I can sleep opari.
Then the next day, we went to clean the church & after cleaning the church, we went for the first part of the retreat which was the sermon part. This is me still carrying myself, not still knowing what I’m doing on camp 😂, after the first part we went to play games. I will say the games part is always the biggest highlight of the retreat❤️, after games we slept and went for the vigil. We got to the church for the vigil and everything started. We started praying and all, this was still me not knowing what I was praying for, I was just praying, and the fact is I was telling God in my mind that I don’t have a prayer point o, but just use me this night. And he did, we prayed and prayed. My main highlight for Saturday was when I was in the spirit. I remember hearing words and writing them down, I also heard the word ‘triplets’ and heard names for the triplet. I thought and also prayed it for my mum, then I remember after everything I was still not calm in my spirit, not knowing I was being disturbed for someone else. One thing I’ve come to learn about myself is that whenever I’m in the spirit I tend to care for other people, sometimes I feel I’m always doing too much 😂 and this same thing happened to me on Sunday after our vigil. While we were worshipping, I kept on saying ‘God not this night please use other people. Like, God, I’m not the only one here, but who am I??😂 who am I to tell God who to use and who he should not use? Now Sunday came and it was not what we expected, seeing myself, I know God really prevailed that day. Anytime I think of the retreat experience like this ehn, I always have goosebumps😫like I should be there again.
I know my testimony has not finished at all and I can’t wait to share them ❤️
I just want to thank God because when He wants to do something, He will always do it even though it might look like it’s not going to work out, He will still prove to us that He will do it❤️
SUSAN ISINJOLA
I am here to give God all the glory. I got the gift of tongues from the retreat and also a confirmation of the gift of prophecy in my life.
I pray for God’s continuous wisdom on how to effectively utilise these gifts for the kingdom of God.
God is also taking very good care of me even to the littlest details, he shows up every time.
I can’t thank him enough!!!
Thank you Jesus 🙏
YEWANDE TEEMAH
My retreat testimonies.
I am reminded of God’s faithfulness every second I think that I need a jaw dropping miracle!
Get Away With Me: IT BEGINS!!! Is the theme for 2023 retreat and I am living, breathing, walking, talking miracle and testimony of the sure word of GOD. The experience started way before the retreat, and it still hasn’t ended.
God is not done!
My retreat testimonies are nothing short of God’s mercy, faithfulness, and everlasting love for me; I remember my first retreat and how God revealed Himself through me. It was a lot to fathom and take in, majorly because the experience is entirely new to me. I remember coming back from my second retreat, thanking God and placing demands on things that didn’t seem feasible…. but then again, JESUS IYEEEEEEEEE!!!
For this year’s retreat, I didn’t have a single prayer request. It is funny, yeah, but I had told God I wasn’t going to limit Him to my own request – this is beyond what my eyes can see and what my hands can touch. I didn’t even go with a trailer to load my answers because I had this “settlement peace” (don’t know how to describe it) within me. In my head, I don’t want to squeeze my answers in a small container.
PHASE 1:
Joining the retreat planning team must be enlisted as one of the most sacrificial things I have had to do as part of my spiritual work for God this year, but I must mention that it was and is rewarding. Leaving Lagos to the Ori oke Ikoyi was a time of test for me that I woefully failed at the beginning before I became conscious of it. The bus drivers were not very cooperative, and we had so many things go wrong. Goodness gracious! I was livid and didn’t fail to express my emotions at the slightest disgust I felt. Thank God for His tender mercies. Didn’t know how I managed to keep my cool when I figured I was overreacting till we got to camp.
PHASE 2:
God is indeed a good God. Some members of the committee had gathered to pray before the vigil on Saturday and God came to reassure us again that He was waiting for us and had begun to work in our favour.
Lo and behold, it was a FEAST!!! I was so excited seeing people manifest the gift of the Holy Spirit – back gist; I don’t think I have had to pray for or lay hands on anyone before to receive the tender yet powerful gift of speaking in tongues. To me, what happened that night is to be likened to what Paul and Apollos did. Oluremi prayed individually for the people that desired the gift and she just randomly pointed at me to engage some of them. ME? You mean ME? But thank God I didn’t hesitate. Oh, I prayed and believed with every strength on the inside of me and glory to God, it flowed. They spoke unapologetically and I was so excited and emotional at the same time. (GOD, you do this one o). The vigil experience was powerful! It ran for 8 hours, and I saw people’s energy being renewed as if they didn’t just go through a stretch of 8 hours of prayers.
One of my most precious moments during the retreat was Sunday evening. Tell me why God just wanted His people to dance and sing with Him? You can’t give a perfect explanation, right? So do I. GOD! GOD!! GOD!!! Your ways are indeed not our ways. It was all Hallelujah chants, dance, and laughter and you GOD was pleased to dwell in our midst.
I try to replay this scenario in my head and all I can do is to enter that realm and bask in HIS presence all over again. Let me just say this for the benefit of whoever picks this up to read; God knows you, cares for you and is intentional about you.
PHASE 3:
Leaving Ori-oke Ikoyi got me emotional. Remember I had said I attended the retreat without any prayer request, so I was worried and didn’t know what exactly God was going to do or had started doing already.
I resumed work that same day I left camp and to my greatest surprise, I got paid for the project I was working on that same day. I didn’t work on the commercials & numbers so I wasn’t even expecting money to come in. God!!! My heart nearly exploded with joy.
I remember just a little over 1 week after the retreat, I was to execute my annual NGO outreach and I needed human and financial resources for the last-minute preparation and execution phase. I drafted a budget and was legit laughing at the numbers on the excel sheet. I didn’t have half of the money and the project had to happen. Same as human resources, people already had engagement for the date and couldn’t make a commitment to be part of it but my God no dey flop. Had a full house a day to the outreach to help sort out the clothing items and people started sending money in to donate for the outreach. I literally saw GOD in action come through for me without any strings attached and yeah, I didn’t owe any vendor. GOD IS FAITHFUL!
Last year after the retreat, one of the things I was intentional about was to constantly give thanks to God for my marriage even when I had gone through 2 bad break ups and detachments and didn’t have anyone in the picture. Exactly a month after the 2023 retreat, I got engaged. I didn’t stutter while writing o, I GOT ENGAGED!!! I am at loss for words because the feeling is so surreal.
One of the things God has been constantly assuring me after the retreat is that I should not worry and that I find favour. This isn’t a joke as I have constantly been experiencing God’s favour everywhere and every time my mind drifts into worrying, I am reminded of HIS faithfulness and how HE has been coming through for me.
God is indeed true to HIS words and is faithful.
OLUWADAMIPE AWOLOLA
My testimony is that of it begins.
I came to last year's retreat with a blurred vision, not knowing what step to take or which direction to take in my career. I prayed last year and the major prayer point was basically that of clarity and God gave me that clarity even while at the camp last year, but I still wasn’t sure of how to go about it and I didn’t really have the strength to stand firm with the decision.
It was a great delight to hear that this year’s retreat was tagged “It begins” , because things were actually beginning in my career, I had been able to get the strength I needed, and I now have the clarity I need to project in the direction.
Really grateful to God for the gift that Word Alive is, honestly grateful.
BUKOLA
Before I started to write this, I had to first read my testimonial from last year. I kept a copy of the more extensive one I wrote on my laptop. I literally went back in time as I read it. It had me not only smiling but back in awe. At the time, I was probably telling myself I had seen it all, but now I’m looking back at the retreat and I’m laughing at the me of last year. If only she knew!
Every day since the retreat, I have replayed over and over bits of my experiences at the retreat and all I can say is God did.
I lack words to describe my experience but I will take it bit by bit as I remember and write about what I can.
Sometime in June/July, a few of us went to the retreat venue - Ori-Oke to pray and that was when we first got the date, 13th-16th October. We moved with that and soon began planning. To be honest, at first, it felt like another year, another retreat to me. Once I realised I was feeling this way, I recognized instantly it was a problem and the first of many ploys the devil would use to try and rub me off what God was set to do. I mean for him to even start attacking me this early, I knew God had something big planned and the devil was scared. I immediately took it to God in prayer and asked Him to open my eyes and change my attitude towards the preparation and the retreat itself and soon enough not only did my disposition towards it change, I started to have dreams about the retreat and I completely poured myself into it.
The admin had been praying every morning at 6:30 am since the last retreat and by this time we started to inculcate bits of retreat planning after the prayers.
I remember how then, it was August and even into September I think, it still felt so relaxed. A couple of times I thought to myself, we should be doing more by now, we should be proactive and get more done, in fact, I had drawn up a planning calendar, and believe me when I tell you we didn’t get to it till about two weeks in.
However, at that time the Holy Spirit kept telling me to relax, He said He was doing the work Himself. It took me a little while to reconcile with it but it came over and over and I just resigned to it.
I wish I could describe everything but here’s what I can tell you for free, God really did handle things Himself; from the planning to the retreat, God did!
We put out a call for volunteers and not only were responses slow in coming but most of the people we were used to working with at the retreat were unavailable to serve this year. Our first instinct naturally would be to panic but instead, we were just calm. Every time we prayed we got a fresh assurance that God had everything under control. To rid us of small-mindedness, God took away a lot of the things and people we were familiar with. We really relied on no one else but God. Even when certain things weren’t forthcoming, our answer would be, “God will sort it.”
See, while losing things and people we were familiar with, God was arranging and planning in the background. God raised men and had them running around for us, of their own accord. Literally, before we even asked, things got done. Lol. He really just wanted to show off that all of it is His doing! It’s not because we have planned before or we are “best in planning.” In fact, but for God, a lot of things would have been ruined or sub-par at the very least.
The lesson the Lord taught me last year on provision stuck and I was not even a tiny bit worried about money. We prayed, raised funds from amongst ourselves, sent out letters, etc. What God needed was our five loaves and two fishes, He was going to handle its sustainability and by Jove, He did!
Another thing God did that shocked us all was the way He announced the retreat Himself. SEE, when God told me He was doing everything Himself, He really meant EVERYTHING.
YAHWEH left no stone unturned fam!
We put out the registration link and in less than 48 hours, we had about 60 registrations. Here’s the fun part, 70% of these people were not members of Word Alive. How did they know about the retreat? Who was telling them?
People were filling out the form by the minute! Every time we opened the form we would see new registrations and let me tell you I was personally opening that form at least FIVE times a day, and for every time I opened I would see at least three new registrations, sometimes we would have ten new registrations within five minutes. It was somewhat scary, but in a good way. Lol!
It was more of, “Where are all these people coming from? What did they hear? Who are they? What are they seeking? Who is inviting them?”
I kept telling Pastor Remi that God was announcing the retreat Himself. He had gone ahead of us to call His children to come. The retreat might be carrying Word Alive Ministry as a banner but God was the real convener and He was calling for His children from everywhere to Get Away With Him! It was almost like He couldn’t wait Himself, and immediately we released the link, He carried the PA system and started calling all and sundry. That was actually the image I had in my head the entire time, God with a PA system, calling His children to come.
We didn’t do half as much publicity as we did last year so it wasn’t a thing of oh we put out ads or something, it wasn’t our doing. I mean we had people come in from Kebbi, Bayelsa, Delta, Ekiti, Ibadan, Ogun, Lagos, Ilorin, Abia, Osun, etc. In today’s Nigeria, with this economy, poor road safety, degrading transportation systems, etc., what in the world could we have told people to make them travel well over 30 hours on the road for the retreat? WHAT?
We had a total of 218 (two hundred and eighteen) registrations, including people who attended online, people in Cameroon, and other countries. For the first time we not only planned a detailed program for online attendees but we also had people meet physically in Cameroon for the retreat! We had 13 people register from Cameroon and they met physically in Yaounde.
Usually, some members of the retreat team would travel with Pastor Remi a few days before the retreat to start preparing and buying certain things ahead of the retreat. For this we would need a vehicle with enough space and durability to handle all our market runs in Ibadan and shuffle between Ibadan and Osun at least twice. Last year, we had a 14-seater bus that made the bulk of the work easier for us. We tried to book the bus again this year but the cost was running into 300k, exclusive of the driver’s payment. Lol. We let it go immediately. We planned to travel on Wednesday and as of Monday, we still didn’t have a vehicle to move with. We were still torn trying to find a way when all of a sudden, one of Pastor Remi’s older cousins called and said he had convinced her dad to give us his SUV for the full duration of the retreat and that he would drive us. First of all, we didn’t even know how he heard about the retreat, not to mention him asking Pastor Remi’s dad for his car to the point of offering to drive us through it all. LMAO
First Pastor Remi and I refused to believe her dad actually agreed and we waited to confirm from him later that day - Tuesday. To our surprise, he did.
God had somehow announced the retreat to Remi’s cousin, influenced him to talk Pastor Remi’s dad into releasing his car and then he was going to drive us. The man was even more eager to not only drive but to attend the retreat himself. I am still quite unclear on how he even heard and knew that we needed a car in the first place. All I can say is God did!
Even with all of these, and all the mind-blowing prophetic words we were getting while praying towards the retreat, nothing, absolutely nothing prepared us for what we experienced at the retreat.
On Wednesday, Pastor Remi, Omolara, and I left for Ibadan with Bro. Gbenga (Pastor Remi’s cousin) drove us and we arrived in Ibadan in less than two hours. At the time of arrival in Ibadan, we had less than 1m (One million naira) left. We had not bought food, we had not paid the bulk of the accommodation money, and we had not finished paying for transportation. By our calculation, we needed an additional 3-4m to keep our heads above water. How the money would come, we didn’t know but we continued moving.
We made a food timetable and drew a rough budget, considering the inflation o, and let me tell you, we were not prepared for what we saw at the market. We took 500k cash to the market and were doing both cash and card payments. Everything was nearly two times the amount we budgeted. This didn’t stop us though, we bought what we could that day and took them to Osun State. We kept them in one of the rooms and took the key.
It would seem that money was coming in by the minute, for every point we had to pay for something, the amount we needed would come in. Other times we couldn’t even explain it, we would just be paying for all sorts of things without thinking about it. Food? We had more than enough. People ate to their satisfaction three times a day and we still had foodstuff left after the retreat.
We had about 150 persons physically at the retreat and we barely had enough accommodation for everyone. We used up all the available space at Ori-Oke. There was a 3-bedroom apartment being constructed before the retreat and there were concerns about whether it would even be ready for use by the time we arrived. It was barely completed but it was completed just enough for people to sleep in. This was done in barely three months if I remember correctly. Lol. How God did this one, I don’t even know.
We still had more people coming in on Saturday and another amazing thing happened, the owner of one of the hostels opened up his own house for us. He gave us two rooms inside his own house, where his family stayed o, just so we could house more people!
See when I said God had people doing things for us without us even asking?
If this isn’t God, I don’t know what is.
I’m actually trying to rush through so that it won’t be too long but there’s just so much, so much to say. My copy will be much more extensive as usual.
Friday
We got to the venue really late because there was just so much to do that day and we didn't have enough hands and legs to run all the errands.
People were already agitated, we were getting calls upon calls asking where we were. Pastor Remi was with her cousin who drove the car carrying the food and other kitchen items. I was with Omolola, Lara, and the Olopos inside a public bus heading to Ikoyi.
We finally got there and I could almost taste the annoyance 😂. Quite understandable but it also wasn't our fault.
While the food was shared, we went into the room to begin grouping and assigning rooms and room captains.
After we did that, we had the first meeting.
I knew it was a tense atmosphere at first but I knew all that would be squashed that night.
Pastor Remi began by apologising and making sure everyone refocused.
It was very important to ensure that our hearts were solely aligned and focused on what God was about to do that weekend. Life as we knew it was about to change.
I remember when I left my room, I turned back at the door and said out loud "Goodbye, things won't be the same when I get back, I won't be the same when I'm back, goodbye old me."
After she introduced herself and got us to move past the agitation, we began worshipping and oh it was as if God was already there, waiting. He was, the heavens were open at once, our worship rose as a sweet-smelling incense to God and He accepted it.
She did further introductions to prepare our hearts for a life changing weekend and we ended that night.
I remember being in tears at how much our worship pleased God and how much I just wanted to stay in that place. All my fatigue was instantly forgotten in the presence of God.
We went to bed quite late after doing some other sorting and arrangements. That night, we filled up two hostels and the recently built 3-bed apartment.
Saturday
On Saturday morning, we were supposed to go to the mountain that morning but couldn't make it in time. There's usually a program on the mountain from 11 am and no one else is allowed to be there at that time.
We had breakfast and then went to church.
The first thing I noticed was that a part of the roof was open. Lmao
Again? Anyway, I just thought to myself, it’s either it doesn’t rain or God will close it again and I ignored it.
We worshipped for a while and then Pastor Remi taught on ‘Entering into the Promises of God’
It was as if God could not wait to meet with us, I saw men receive deliverance, the Spirit of God pierced the hearts of men, drew men to Him, and gave gifts. I remember someone who had never prophesied before received a heavy prophetic gift and she was so overwhelmed she couldn't speak. She was instead given a note where she wrote all she saw and all the Lord told her.
In that place of worship, I was down with the Lord. I connected so quickly and so easily as I laid down flat before Him in adoration.
The sermon itself was deliverance for me and many others testified about it after. It was a literal representation of Ps. 119:130: “The entrance of your words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple”
Words and instructions that seemed so simple, almost a joke were so impactful, the Holy Spirit showed to me again just how intentional and interested He is in the tiniest details of our lives. I have words to run with for years to come!
Saturday night- the vigil
Oh! The glory!
Earlier that night Myself, Pastor Remi, Niyi, Samson, Precious, Omolola, and Babawale were gisting about the previous retreats, little did we know all those conversations were divinely orchestrated. He wanted to remind us of everything He had done in the past so we would reconcile it with what He was set to do in the next three days.
Now the vigil, from worship to prayers to deliverance to prophesies, I was left speechless.
I remember before the retreat, during one of the retreat team prayers, I saw men inside the church, each bowed down, each having a one-on-one encounter with God. At a point during the vigil I looked up from where I was bowed and I saw the same thing. God came for EVERYONE and He touched ALL.
It was personal, one-on-one encounters, God with His children, each of them, fellowshipping, revealing, ministering. Contrary to our previous vigils, there wasn’t much laying of hands.
As I retreated before the Lord during the vigil, the Lord took me all the way down to my birth and showed me some things that answered certain burning questions that I had in my heart. Questions I didn’t think about during the retreat but God knew and He answered them. I wept so much, I have never felt so loved and so seen as I did that night. My tongues changed also that night, many others received new gifts, including the gifts of tongues, etc. I relearnt the power of prayer and the assurance that comes with the name of Jesus.
Later that night, the Lord used one of us, Ibukun, and laid burdens in her heart for men, she could literally feel their pain and she would cry out, write a note, and give it to Pastor Remi, who then called multiple cases as the Lord was leading and prayed for them.
It was like God had a list of everyone’s burdens and came with answers, through prophecy, prayers, etc.
We ended in the morning with dancing and Thanksgiving and I remember at some point I couldn’t control myself anymore, I couldn’t stop dancing. I noticed this with a couple of other people also, little did we know it was a prelude to what we witnessed on Sunday night.
Sunday
We went back to our rooms to rest, ate, played games, bonded, etc.
Pastor Remi told me to prepare to handle the Spiritual Pool as that was the program for the night and she had lost her voice. I tried to prepare a little but I was also tired. I prayed, ran through the scriptures, and plugged my ears till I fell asleep.
We woke up and left for the church. I was with Pastor Remi, Omolola, and one other person. We got to the church and realised the gen was giving issues but worship had already started. I had been praying in the car and continued till we got down. The first thing I said to Omolola immediately after we got to the church was that this was a setup. God wanted to do something that night, I just wasn’t sure what. I already knew we wouldn’t be having Spiritual Pool that night.
Omolola was happy that Wale was finally around and he would lead worship because she had lost her voice but Pastor Remi told her she would still sing. The voice would find its way back and she would use it to worship God, I did not doubt it and nodded in agreement.
As soon as we entered the church I could feel the thickness of the air, I knew God was there and waiting. I saw angels all around suspended in the air inside the church and we joined in worship. There was a particular song that was raised and it pulled something in my spirit and I just dropped to the ground. Earlier that day, I had listened to a message where Kathryn Kuhlman sang that same song and I slept off crying to it. Immediately I heard the song again, my eyes suddenly popped open, my legs gave out and I was transported to the throne room, I was laid flat before God, I was seeing certain things I was too afraid to see so I would shut my eyes tightly, screaming and crying because it was just too much to behold but I heard the Lord sound loudly in my ear to open my eyes and see, “Laju e le, open your eyes and see.”
I was in that space for some time before I came to. I can’t detail the exact progression of things but I remember at some point Omolola started singing a particular song which became our theme song for the retreat, check “Hallelujah Chant by Dave Ugbor ft BBO”
We sang that song for almost four hours and that opened us up to something we had never seen before.
We broke out in dancing one after the other, I remember Wale came running to me asking if I could hear the sound of a keyboard playing, like someone was playing the keyboard, Omolola confirmed this later also. I remember hearing thunder but it wasn’t thunder, it was something else. Like a sound announcing the entrance of a king - it was God.
As it rumbled on, I looked up at the open roof and saw a host of angels flock in their thousands, there were so many of them just trooping in. I’m sure I was doing one or more of jumping, screaming, and crying. Next, it was God Himself that followed and He was dancing with us! He came to dance with His children Himself.
Everyone was dancing with God, people were drunk in the spirit, and many people were prophesying at the same time, it was simply glorious! I have no words to describe it all.
It also started to rain at some point. I immediately looked to the open roof, I kept rubbing my eyes and staring at it, water wasn’t coming through it. I looked out the windows, and I could see it was raining heavily but it wasn’t raining inside the church, I nearly lost it. After a good five to ten minutes, it started to rain inside the church but it wasn’t even much. We barricaded the place where the water was and it dried before we even left the church.
We continued to dance and were so lost in fellowship with Yahweh that when the light went off we hardly even noticed, I couldn’t stop dancing neither could most of us, my feet became lighter and quicker, and I noticed I was moving even more swiftly but in all of that darkness and moving around, not one person collided with another. We couldn’t see each other but we could see God and everyone just moved in unison with Him.
On Monday we finally went to the mountain and had our Spiritual Pool, we worshipped and God just did a topping for us. We knew our lives had changed forever and there was no going back.
I really could go on and on but for this not to get any lengthier I would put a stop here.
Food? We had an excess of it, much more leftovers than we could imagine. Everything remained.
Money? For the first time, we had over 400k left after all expenses had been done.
Last year we had a testimony of money not finishing from our purse in the market, this time we documented all the money received and it didn’t tally with what we spent. Till today none of us can explain how it is that the money remained over 400k.
On Saturday Pastor Remi and I slept in the afternoon and woke up to multiple credit alerts, note that we had completely stopped putting out a call for sponsorship so how or why people kept on giving, we don’t know.
Remember the conversation we had in the room about all the things God had done in the past retreats? Well, God simply wanted us to remember it all because what He did this year was to take multiple elements of each year and give us a triple dose. He combined all the past retreats, multiplied it by a hundred, and gave us much more!
Till today, I am still processing all of my experiences at the retreat and all I can say is;
God is so perfect, so good, so intentional and so faithful!
Get Away With Me: IT BEGINS, GOD DID!
ABOSEDE ADEDOTUN
Here's my Experience/Testimony from the Retreat
I wrote 3 request for this year's retreat;
1. Singing in the Tongues
2. Help with my burdened heart
3. Healing
From the first prayer we offered the evening we arrived;
I started singing in the Holy Ghost. I couldn't believe it, because this is something I have struggled with for a long time. I was so excited, I wrote to a friend (I met on Word Alive) because he wasn't at the retreat but I couldn't keep calm about it. Meanwhile he told me earlier that I was about to experience one of the best periods of my life. I didn't take it too seriously but just on the first evening my miracle started.
The heavy heart burden was addressed by PRems (it was like she was addressing me in her short exhortation that evening) and I was miraculously healed from it and I feel very light. This may feel like it's nothing but it has been a lingering situation and I carry a burdened heart around my everyday life. The exact pain point was addressed that evening and I received my breakthrough just on arrival.
I got the first part of my healing on the 2nd day, during prayers, I am still waiting for the final part but I did not fret at all because the process has started and I know that the Lord who has started the good work will complete it until the perfect day. Hallelujah.
And the experience on Sunday 😫 I have never felt so much of God's power on me at once before, the encounter 😫 I have not recovered from it ever since, my heaven has been open and everyday, I feel the presence of God around me, the directions, instructions, guidance, words fail me in expressing myself at this point. Thank you Jesus for having me in mind.
After the retreat I have seen the hands of God in every area of my life and I cannot deny that my life has not been the same since the retreat. Thank you Jesus!
FEMI FESTUS
My retreat testimonies.
From July 2023, I had been living in pain, hurt and offence.
I knew something was wrong but didn’t know how to sort it out. It affected me a lot most especially when I prayed and studied and at a point, I knew my spiritual life was under attack.
I needed a solution and the first thing I had in mind was to retreat, not personal retreat but retreat with other believers where I can worship, pray and also enjoy my company with them.
Fast forward to the day of the retreat. I was so excited. To me, it was like a new year's eve and I had prepared myself for everything God had planned for me.
Funny thing is that I didn’t have an expectation but I know God knows what is best for me and will expose every darkness that has accommodated pain, hurt, offence and guilt.
I was given a role to be in charge of those that will be coming from Mowe. Meeting other people gave me so much joy and I knew I would have a good time at the retreat.
The devil wanted to distract me with anger when the bus passed Mowe but Omotola and Joshua Bello had to calm me down and immediately, I felt bad for getting angry over something I would laugh at.
We got to the retreat camp and it was so nice meeting old friends and new friends at the camp.
At first, I didn’t feel any spiritual presence even when Remi led worship that night. This is quite unusual.
Day 2
We all slept late and as the room leader, I had to wake up early the next morning. We went to the church to clean and after cleaning, we gathered at the church for sermon and worship. I still didn't feel any spiritual presence. At this point, I wasn’t happy with myself and I was trying to force things.
Then it was time for vigil (sorry I had to skip many scenes 😃) we worshipped and I was searching my spirit for the presence of God and to hear his voice. It was as if the presence was taken away from me. During the worship, I said I must hear God ni se and I continued in worship then I got a word. It was so dear to me and I had to write it in my journal. And after hours of worship and prayer, we sang praises to God and I could feel the Joy of the Lord, it was so real. Glory to God.
Day 3
I’m so sorry I had to skip a lot of activities. We went for prayers in the evening. Wale led worship that evening and immediately I joined in, I could feel the presence of God. I had to find a spot for myself. The presence of God was so real and I was lost in worship. Although I was paying attention to those who were slain in the spirit, so we can catch them and they don’t injure themselves but at a point, I said to myself “nobody will die if they fall”😂
Then we started this song. “Oti segun fun mi, oti damilare, Hallelujah eh, Hallelujah eh. Kai, this song did something to me. I worshipped from my heart, remember, I was dealing with pain, hurt, offence and guilt, I had to drop everything at his feet weeping.
The amazing thing that happened, I was on my knees with my face down, worshipping and crying. Then I heard the sound of rain and I felt the spirit of joy fill the room. It was as if heaven invaded the earth, I opened my eyes stylishly and I didn’t see anything of such, then some minutes later... It was raining heavily o. God healed me of pain, hurt, guilt and the spirit of Joy filled my heart. Mo kan sun kún ni. I knew something had happened. The spirit of God was so strong that I couldn’t control my legs anymore.
During worship, I received so many words and I’m glad I was able to remember after worship. And thank God I was able to discern who I was to receive from, I got words from Gift and Obawale and these words resonated so much. It was a good experience.
Some of the words I got were about my Mom’s health. She’s been battling with high blood pressure, lack of sleep and abnormal heartbeat. She wanted to come for the retreat but she wasn’t strong enough to do that. The Holy Spirit said that I should tell her to check her bp weekly and that she will testify. I took the anointing oil and I gave it to her. She said her heartbeat is now normal, when she checked her blood pressure, it has reduced and the amazing thing is she can now go to her shop. I’m still trusting God for complete healing.
God did it.
ADEBAYO TIMILEHIN
My name is Timileyin Adebayo.
I want to first thank Pastor Remi and her team, it was such a powerful and life changing experience for me. From accommodation to feeding to the fun we had.
The main program itself, Omo! it was indeed what I needed at the time.
I want to thank God for all that I experienced at the retreat, no prayer point but I was fully blessed.
I heard God clearly, that was my first time, to be very clear.
I was healed in my mind, I was depressed when I came but left happy.
I asked God for mercy and I can tell that I have started seeing His mercy.
The hallelujah song😭😭😭
I strongly believe that he’s just getting started, because he gave me plenty of words and I am going to experience it all.
Also my assistant got healed in her left ear.
Hallelujah!
OLAMIDE ADEKEYE
My Retreat Testimonies
I am sharing my retreat testimonies at a time I least expected. It's not like I do not want to share, but I kept postponing and looking for a perfect time to put all that God has done into words. I will share a few.
I have never been able to attend the retreat physically due to work and even this year when I am at a more flexible point in my career, I still couldn't attend physically due to distance. However, nothing was going to deter me from taking delivery of all God has in store for me in this year’s retreat. Besides, the beautiful thing about God’s encounter and covenant with us in Word Alive is how He never limits the mode of encounter with us.
I joined the retreat planning team and this helped to build my anticipation for the retreat. The planning team was great but I kept thinking we could do better. In retrospect, I understand that it is not about what we did or didn't do, God was going to handle His program, all He needed was our five loaves and two fishes.
A day before the retreat when PRems announced that we didn't have enough to cover expenses and we started last minute fundraising, I laughed! How were we supposed to raise 6 million Naira without asking anyone attending to pay a dime? We had about 150 people who attended physically and these people were going to be fed 3 times daily! All we got were donations. But i kept remembering last year’s testimony of how we kept spending and the purse and account didn't get empty, so in my mind i thought, this is season 2 of Jehovah Jireh’s show off, and show off He did!
Prior to the retreat, the retreat team fasted and prayed, because retreat is usually a feast period. I was also job hunting during this time and I was not sure which area to focus on. I had a dream where I got an insight on the area to focus my search on. When I woke up, I still asked God for another confirmation, and that afternoon, a recruiter in that particular field reached out to me to confirm my availability for an informal chat with a Director. Immediately, I knew this was it!
I eventually got the job offer after the retreat. This is barely 3 months after relocation and while I was still working with another Company.
During the retreat, I was fully involved in the online program and we were fully connected! You know, no network issues or any disadvantage of a virtual meeting. We were all in tune, it was like we were all in the same room with Jesus himself at the centre of the room. The Bible study was Fire! The online attendees shared! We examined Samson’s life and realised how much of him we can be sometimes. We took life lessons. And oh! The vigil! God gave his words and one of our Cameroonian sisters received the gift of the speaking in tongues, online o, online!
And yes, despite being in a time of so much need in my life, I also didn’t write out any prayer points for the retreat. I just allowed God. I wanted to receive all that I need from God, all that He was ready to give and not limit Him by what I think that I need. And everyday, I am amazed at how He takes care of me and how much more He is set to do!
SANDY ADEBISI DEBORAH
I want to appreciate God for his faithfulness over my life and that of my siblings, especially my brother. It's a 180 degree change since we returned from the retreat.
Also I'm thanking God for daily provisions for my family, God amazes me daily with the way he causes men to bless me.
Also I want to appreciate God for discernment, I don't struggle to know things anymore since i got back. Once I'm lost and I ask the holy spirit to help me, I will just find whatever I'm looking for.
Thanking him in advance for the perfection of my health because I believe God can and God will.
Also I want to thank God for paying part of our rent and I'm trusting God for perfection.
Hallelujah eeee....
I want to thank God for Word Alive, because truly the Word of God is alive in us and amongst us.
May his name be praised forever.
Love.
DASI
Oh glory to God.
I want to thank God for being God, and I want to thank him that by himself he orchestrates meetings like this one and puts burdens in the hearts of men.
Word Alive retreat is a great miracle unto me.
Every aspect of that retreat has blessed my life, and for this I'll be eternally grateful.
Saturday, during the night rehearsal, God opened my eyes and my ears, I received lots of words from God that day.
First of all I want to thank God for the provision he provided for that retreat right from the start, almost as if he knew I had to be there, how I got my transport fare still remains a miracle to me till today.
On Saturday evening while we were worshipping God, I got a word for a friend. When I got this word, I had planned to write it down and tell her when I get back to school, but I just typed it immediately and sent it to her and even though the network wasn't very good, the message was delivered.
When I got back to school, we got talking and she told me that God's word came so timely. She said at the moment the message came in, she was doing something that she wasn't too proud of, and a message that starts with "GOD SAID I SHOULD TELL YOU...." dropped on her phone. She said it was as if her senses suddenly came back to normal, as if something sparked in her.
I want to thank God that even as we were in that community, our loved ones were not left aside. I want to thank God for her life and how God has been walking with her ever since then.
Secondly, I came to the retreat with so many expectations 😂😂 expectations were plenty, and behold they were all met and even more.
Coming for the retreat, there was something (a proposal) I was given that bothered me, I didn't know whether or not to accept it & it kept me worried for days. I didn’t know why but somehow I knew I was going to get direction at the retreat, so I requested for more time to think about it . While at the all night program , I heard God say it so loud and clear "I HAVE EMPOWERED YOU".
Yes I was so happy , and I want to thank God that He is true and His word does not fail.
I came to the retreat with many prayer requests that I sincerely didn't even remember praying about. There I was receiving answers and instructions here and there.
One thing I remember that I specifically asked God was for love for the secret place. Before the retreat, I struggled a lot with prayer. I found the secret place boring and tiring, I approached the secret place with a funny attitude and I wasn't happy about it. While we were praying, I remember asking God for love, excitement and consistency in the place of prayer and I'm happy to say since then, I'm excited about prayer time, every time is prayer time for me.
I want to thank God for the gift of men and for the beautiful souls I met at the retreat. I made lots of new friends. It was amazing being with these people, it was as though I was in a family meeting.
Heyyy
Till now, I'm daily, I mean daily, blessed by the special people I met at the retreat.
The anointing oil that was given to us, today is the first day I opened it. Okay, first things first, I had never made use of anointing oil, I didn't even know what it was for in the first place. I didn't really understand its function. I remember I asked Sister Omotola about it and she told me how to go about using it and all but ever since I came back, I didn't use it, till this morning when I woke up with an unexplainable level of cramps/ pain.
The feeling was so horrible that I started wondering if it was natural, then a friend (Word Alive friend) encouraged me to make use of the oil and I did. Behold the pain seized. It was so exciting to have experienced such healing. I want to thank God.
The song Hallelujah has greatly blessed me in the place of prayer.
Thank you Jesus!
I refuse to ever recover from this retreat.
Thank you mummy Rems for your labour of love and to Word Alive Admin and retreat planning committee, thank you for this level of sacrifice.
Thank you to all Word Alive members for being so incredible.
All the Glory indeed is the Lord’s.
Thank you mummy
OLUWATUNMISE TEMITOPE
I have come to return all glory to God!
Just like it happened last year, (I got promoted at work on the day the retreat started), this year's retreat started on a good note for me. There was a professional exam I have been writing for two years without passing. I wrote the same exam in August this year and failed again🙄.
I registered for the exam again in September and In the course of praying toward the retreat, I wrote it down as one of my prayer points that this should be the last time I will be failing and that God should grant me success in the next one I will be writing. To God be the glory, I wrote the exam a day before the retreat started and I passed💃💃💃.
Also, my brother got an admission in Germany and the person that was supposed to give him a sponsorship letter declined one week to his visa interview. The only option left was for us to raise about 12 million within 3 weeks to put in a blocked account. During the retreat I presented this to God as we do not have the means to raise such money in that short period. God gave me a word at the retreat that He is "Oba Alasepe ". I held on to this word and true to his word, God raised help beyond our reasoning and imagination. This money got completed within the stipulated time!
I want to return all glory and adoration to God Almighty! Oba Alasepe!!!
TIWA SEWA
I don’t know how to explain my testimony, but here it is.
I usually have something like a lump on my eyelid. Anytime this appears I have difficulty seeing and I feel so much pain.
When the case of eye pain was mentioned at the retreat I was so convinced that I was healed right there.
Few days after the retreat the devil tried to make me feel like I did not deserve the healing. The lumps came back with a headache and I kept singing our theme song for the retreat HALLELUJAH EH and I kept confessing my healing because I was so sure God did it. To the glory of God I have not felt any pain since the first week after the retreat and I can see clearly now.
God did it.
EVELYN
A month or so before camp, my friend's staff felt something enter her ear, and it was causing discomfort so my friend helped her check it and then saw that it was a cockroach.
My friend was able to remove it but the lady was still feeling discomfort in the ear, so she went to the hospital and they helped her flush the ear and told her there was nothing there again.
Although she still feels the discomfort in her ear, we all came to camp together and got home on Monday. The following day after camp she felt something come out of her ear and it was cockroach.
Since then no discomfort, everything is fine with the ear now.
JACOB M ADULLAM
My name Is Jacob Moses, I would title this testimony mental Transformation. It all began at early September 2023, I met my spiritual Mother Ruth Malachy for our usual Friday meeting. That day she invited me to word alive retreat 2023, she told me to pray about it before accepting the invitation. That same day I was coming back from another fellowship, while walking home, I heard it clearly "Don't even ask me, you are going to the retreat" I knew it was the Holy Spirit. So i responded "Yes Sir".
I didn't have transportation fund but God used my spiritual mother to get me to osun state.
I prayed earnestly almost everyday preparing for the retreat sometimes alone or with my mentor. I prayed even on the prophetic word given by word Alive admins. I kept hearing the word "Awamaridi" in the car, while heading to osun.
The retreat started at 13th October 2023, We couldn't make it to the first day at the retreat, until the second day which I decided to eat nothing only the food they cooked at the retreat on that second day "after reading a testimony of a fellow who got revived after eating the meals offered at the retreat" so I determine not to eat.
We got to Ikoyi. I was only yearning for God, but something strange happened, at that program we missed the morning section (teaching), the afternoon section was game. At the game I wasn't comfortable, it wasn't spiritual so I thought, the more I try to play, the more I restrain myself that this wasn't spiritual. I was very serious but I remembered reading Pastor Oluremi's blog, she said don't put God in a box, but I kept telling myself inwardly this is not spiritual, that I came to seek God and not to play games.
Now it was night Virgil, same thing happened, while worship was going on, I didn't understand the move. Strange dancing, chanting and praying. I was totally cut off in the spirit. I became a spectator, this was a guy who was in 36hours journey, I was just watching people moving all about the room, I said to myself "no God can't move this way" but the more confusing thing is that; I can't deny that my spirit was richly blessed, i knew i stepped into a new grace but i kept saying inwardly "God can't move this way"
But I cried one cry to God " God I truly don't understand, please enlighten me". I became curious to know more, at the last day, I ran to Pastor Oluremi and asked her few questions, to settle all the confusion in my heart, she gave me a beautiful answer that open a new pace of revelation to me.
Then back home I asked my spiritual mother, who also enlightened me. She made me understood that I had defined God, I have put him in a box and defined him that " this is the only way God moves" but all this was unknown to me. God had to take me 36hours away from home just to learn this.
I delight in revival, and revival always comes with new move of God. How then can i be among the move of revival, if i had defined that God had one move. There is a lot of implication to this ignorant hidden in me, that God uncovered.
Today, oh, i enjoy worship (Hallelujah), I have learnt to accept people expression towards God, i have let men be men and God be God. I have seen myself as an atom and God as an eternal ocean. I know my testimony will be updated is like everyday am unveiling what God did for me through the retreat .
My approach to wisdom has totally changed, words can't express the mental Transformation I received. I had to start my testimony this way, so that the reader will realize, I have sound spiritual life but I had put God in a box and 36hours journey showed that to me. I know, one day someone like me will be attending this retreat, I want to tell you this God never send you to where will destroy your spiritual life, so when you attend the next retreat 2024/2025/2026. Know this "God can never send you to the wrong place.
So be open and join the activities with an open heart."
Thank You word alive for allowing me to see God as Awamaridi, the unsearchable God. His eternal i can't know him all.
Words can't express my testimony but I tried to pen it out. Thank You Pastor Olureme, God bless you all.
